Avow
/əˈvaʊ/noun
To declare or affirm something openly and confidently.
Did you know?Avow comes through Old French from Latin legal-religious language, where a vow was not just a statement but a binding spoken commitment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wekw-
“to speak, call, or utter”
Latin
Latin
vocāre
“to call, summon”
Late Latin
Latin
votum
“a vow, promise, or solemn pledge”
Old French
Old French
avouer
“to admit, confess, acknowledge”
Middle English
English
avouen
“to acknowledge openly, confess”
Modern English
English
avow
“to declare openly or assert”